Adjustable hair shaper



Sept. 18, 1962 T. J. GORE 3,054,180

ADJUSTABLE HAIR SHAPER Filed July 8, 1960 4 Y INVENTOR.

THOMAS J. GORE ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofilice 3,054,180 Patented Sept. 18, 1962 3,054,180 ADJUSTABLE HAIR SHAPER Thomas J. Gore, Cassopolis, Mich. (405 Lincoln Way West, South Bend 1, Ind.) Filed July 8, 1960, Ser. No. 41,566 10 Claims. (Cl. 30-30) This invention relates to improvements in hair shapers, and in particular constitutes an improvement upon the device covered by my Patent 2,814,112, dated November 26, 1957, for Device for Tapering and Thinning Hair.

This device utilizes a notched blade as a means to cut some of the filaments of a hair strand as it is held extended from the head by pressing the notched blade against a strand transversely and preferably at an angle to the length of the strand so as to out filaments of the hair contacted by the edged portion of the blade and to leave uncut the hair filaments which enter the notches of the blade in addition to those filaments of the hair strand which are not cut because of limitation of the force applied to the blade in a cutting direction or the extent of penetration of the hair strand by the blade edge. It is the primary object of this invention to provide adjustability of the device so that it can be set to cut a selected proportion of the filaments of a strand of hair against which the blade edge of the device is pressed.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a blade with a notched cutting edge and a toothed guard whose teeth are juxtaposed to the notched cutting edge and are positioned adjustably or selectively relative to the notches of the blade so as to control the extent of the cutting portion of the blade exposed between the teeth of the guard.

A further object is to provide a device of this character. which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, which will maintain any selected adjustment and which will be safe from the standpoint of minimizing danger of the user cutting herself and from the standpoint of catching or snagging hair.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which a blade is mounted firmly but removably and in which a guard is mounted adjustably and removably so that the device can be disassembled readily and easily for replacement of blades and for cleaning.

' Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a view of the device in side elevation;

FIG. 2 is a view of the toothed guard in side elevation;

FIG. 3 is a view of the toothed blade in side elevation;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view illustrating one position or adjustment of the device, providing minimum cutting of hair;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating another adjustment of the device in which a greater portion of hair may be cut;

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of blade; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the blade illustrated in FIG. 7.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 6 thereof, the numeral 10 designates the handle of a razor which preferably is formed similarly to the handle of a conventional straight edge razor from two spaced parts connected together at their opposite ends by means of a spacer block at the free end thereof held in place by rivet 12 and by a pivot pin 14 serving as means to pivotally connect to the handle the shank of a blade carrier 16. The blade carrier is adapted to fit between the parts of the handle 10 when not in use so as to protect the cutting edge of the device as is well understood in the art. The blade holder 16 preferably has a longitu-. dinally extending blade-carrying end portion '18 which preferably constitutes a plate of spring steel bent to substantially channel-shape with its opposite side Walls 20 converging from the bight of the carrier to their longitudinal free edges. Suitable means (not shown) in the nature of a stop may be mounted on the carrier 16 to properly position a blade on the carrier 16 when said blade abuts said stop, as Well understood in the art.

A blade 22 of substantially the same length as the carrier portion 18 is formed of suitable material, preferably of substantially uniform thickness, and is reinforced at the longitudinal edge thereof by a metal reinforcing channel 24 which grips the blade 22 and reinforces and rigidifies the same. The channel 24 preferably extends substantially full length of the blade 22. The opposite longitudinal margin of the blade 22' is interrupted by a plurality of notches 26 which extend transversely of the blade and preferably are equally spaced and serve to define between them cutting teeth 28 which are similar to one another and which are edged. The blade is mounted in the carrier 18 by sliding the reinforcing portion 24 thereof within the carrier channel 20, 20, and the parts are so proportioned that the blade will be held firmly in the carrier in a selected position restrained against both longitudinal and transverse movement by the spring grip of the carrier part 20 thereon. The parts are so proportioned that the blade teeth 28 are spaced laterally from the carrier portion 18.

A guard 39, as shown in FIG. 2, is mounted upon the device, in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. The guard is preferably formed of spring plate stock bent longitudinally thereof at 32 to provide a short or narrow jaw portion 34 and an opposite wider jaw portion 36 which terminates in a longitudinal toothed edge 38. The centers of the teeth 38 are spaced the same distance as the centers of the blade teeth 28, but the teeth 38 are narrower than the blade teeth 28 and the spacing between the teeth 38 is greater than the Width of the blade notches 26. The guard 30 is shaped to have a snug frictional spring-pressed grip on the blade carrier 18, as illustrated in FIG. 4. For this purpose the narrow jaw portion 34 of the guard is preferably of a width to engage the carrier part 18 but to have only limited lateral projection therebeyond so as to terminate spaced from the blade teeth 28 and from the inner ends of the blade notches 26 defining said blade teeth. The opposite jaw 38 of the guard has a longitudinal offset portion 40 spaced inwardly from the teeth 38 and adapted to bear against the blade 22 between the blade teeth 28 and the blade-reinforcing part 24, as seen in FIG. 4. The width of the guard jaw 36 is greater than the width of the blade so that the tips of the guard teeth 38 project slightly beyond the tips of the blade teeth 28, while the depth of the notches between the teeth '38 of the guard is preferably such as to extend substantially to the inner ends of the blade notches 26, as seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. In order to facilitate the sliding of the guard 30 onto and off of the blade carrier 18, a plurality of transverse slots may be formed in the bight portion thereof so as to define a plurality of spaced crossstrips 42 between the guard jaws 34 and 36 at the central portion thereof, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The blade carrier 16 may include a shoulder 44 intermediate its length to limit the extent to which the guard 30 can he slid lengthwise upon the blade carrier.

While the particular construction and arrangement of the parts as described and illustrated herein is intended to be illustrative and not limiting, it will be apparent that the device consists essentially of a blade carrier, a notched blade mounted upon that carrier, and a guard having a toothed edge slidable upon the carrier with its teeth juxtaposed to the teeth of the notched blade and adapted to be positioned in any selected longitudinal adjustment with respect to the blade.

One setting or adjustment of the guard relative to the blade is illustrated in FIG. 5 and is characterized by substantially centered or registering relation between the notches 26 of the blade 22 and the notches between the teeth 38 of the guard. This serves to expose the full width of the blade notches 28 between the guard teeth 38 and to expose between the guard teeth 38 only a comparative short length of each of the cutting edges of the blade teeth 28. Consequently, when the device is applied to a strand of hair while in the adjustment shown in FIG. 5, the teeth 38 will deflect hair filaments of the strand therebetween and most of the hair filaments will enter the slots 26 of the blade so that only a small proportion of the hair filaments between adjacent guard teeth 38 will be exposed to the cutting action of the blade edges as the device is pressed against the hair strand while held transversely thereof. In this connection it will be apparent that, regardless of the force with which the device is pressed against the hair strand, the proportion of the hair filaments which is severed are small in the FIG. 5 setting of the device.

Another setting is illustrated in FIG. 6 in which the guard 30 has been shifted so as to position the blade notches 26 out of register with the guard notches between the teeth 38 of the guard. By this means the notches provided at 50 to receive hair filaments from a strand without severing thereof is narrowed compared to the width of the blade notches 26, and the exposed portion of each blade tooth 28 which is located between adjacent guard teeth 38 is increased compared to the setting shown in FIG. 5. The application of a tool in the FIG. 6 setting to a strand of hair will greatly increase the proportion of the hair filaments of the strand which is cut when the device is pressed thereagainst as compared to the proportion existing in FIG. 5.

It will be understood that the blade teeth 28 must be of a width equal to or greater than the width of the notches between the guard teeth 38 in order to provide any cutting action in the FIG. 5 position. Such a proportion of the parts is not essential, however, and the blade teeth 28 may be of the same width as the guard teeth 38, and the blade notches 26 may be of the same width as the notches between guard teeth 38 if desired. It the teeth of the blade and guard are so proportioned, full register between the teeth blade and the teeth of the guard results in substantial elimination of cutting action when the tool was applied to a strand of hair to press the toothed portions into that strand. However, the utility of the device would not be lost since any position of adjustment of the guard relative to the blade, other than such full register, would expose part of the cutting edge of each blade tooth and, consequently, would produce some cutting of the hair strand. Thus it would be possible to adjust the setting of the device between a position of minimum cutting action when the blade teeth registered with the guard teeth and a position of maximum cutting action when the blade teeth are out of register with the guard teeth and span completely the guard notches between the guard teeth 38. Any of the infinitely different settings between these two extremes will be maintained by virtue of the frictional grip of the guard upon the carrier as long as intentional manual sliding pressure upon the guard is avoided.

While the use of a reinforced blade is preferred, it is not essential, and a blade construction is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 may be utilized. Such a blade 60 has the same toothed cutting edge portion 62 defined by trans verse slots at one margin thereof, as explained above. This blade is formed from thin plate stock and is slit transversely to a slight depth at the marginal portion thereof opposite the edged margin so as to define ears 66. These ears are bent alternately and oppositely from the plane of the blade 60 to a selected angle, such as an angle of '90 degrees from the blade 60, as here illustrated, and provide an overall width of the blade at its maximum between the free edges of oppositely bent ears 66 substantially equal to the maximum spacing of the side walls 20' of a blade carrier 18 of substantially U-shape, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The blade carrier 18 will preferably have the free edges of the opposite walls 20' thereof spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the blade 60 so that the blade will be supported uniformly along its length intermediate its width between the free edges of the carrier walls 20' and will be supported at its inner edge by contact of the ears 66 with the carrier walls adjacent the bight of the carrier.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes in the construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In an adjustable hair shaper, a blade having a notched cutting edge portion defining spaced cutting teeth, and a guard mounted for longitudinal adjustment relative to said blade, said guard having a toothed margin juxtaposed to said blade teeth and projecting therefrom, the setting of said guard controlling the exposure of the cutting edges of said blade teeth between the teeth of said guard.

2. In an adjustable hair shaper, a blade having a notched cutting edge portion defining spaced cutting teeth, and a guard mounted for longitudinal adjustment relative to said blade, said guard having a toothed margin juxtaposed to said blade teeth and projecting therefrom, the spacing between the centers of the teeth of said guard being equal to the spacing between the centers of said blade teeth.

3. In an adjustable hair shaper, a blade unit having a notched cutting edge portion defining spaced cutting teeth, and a guard mounted for longitudinal adjustment relative to said blade, said guard having a toothed margin juxtaposed to said blade teeth and projecting therebeyond, said guard having a frictional clamping relation with said blade unit to maintain a selected extent of register of the teeth of said blade and said guards.

4. In an adjustable hair shaper, a blade having a notched cutting edge portion defining spaced cutting teeth, and a guard mounted for longitudinal adjustment relative to said blade, said guard having a toothed margin juxtaposed to said blade teeth and projecting therebeyond, the centers of said blade teeth and said guard teeth being similarly spaced and said blade teeth being wider than said guard teeth.

5. In an adjustable hair shaper, a blade having a notched cutting edge portion defining spaced cutting teeth,

and a guard mounted for longitudinal adjustment relative to said blade, said guard having a toothed margin juxtaposed to said blade teeth and projecting therebeyond, the centers of said blade teeth being spaced similarly to the centers of said guard teeth, said blade teeth being ofa width at least equal to the spacing between said guard teeth.

6. An adjustable hair shaper comprising a carrier, a

blade mounted in said carrier and having an edged marginthe cutting edges of said blade teeth between said guard,

teeth.

7. An adjustable hair shaper comprising a carrier, a"

blade mounted in said carrier and having an edged margin projecting from said carrier, said edged margin having equally spaced transverse slots defining spaced cutting teeth, and a guard mounted on said carrier for adjustment lengthwise thereof, said guard including a portion extending alongside said blade and having longitudinally spaced teeth at its margin projecting beyond said blade teeth, said guard embracing and 'frictionally gripping said blade carrier to maintain any selected adjustment thereof relative to said blade to regulate the portions of the cutting edges of said blade exposed between said guard teeth.

8. An adjustable hair shaper comprising a carrier, a blade mounted in said carrier and having an edged margin projecting from said carrier, said edged margin having equally spaced transverse slots defining spaced cutting teeth, and a guard mounted on said carrier for adjustment lengthwise thereof, said guard including a portion extending alongside said blade and having longitudinally spaced teeth at its margin projecting beyond said blade teeth, said guard embracing and frictional-1y gripping said blade carrier, said toothed guard portion including a longitudinal offset portion frictionally engaging said blade between said blade teeth and said carrier, said frictional engagement of said guard maintaining any selected ex tent of registration of said blade teeth and guard teeth.

9. An adjustable hair shaper comprising a carrier, a blade mounted in said carrier and having an edged margin projecting from said carrier, said edged margin having equally spaced transverse slots defining spaced cutting teeth, and a guard mounted on said carrier for adjustment lengthwise thereof, said guard including a. portion extending alongside said blade and having longitudinally spaced teeth at its margin projecting beyond said blade teeth, said guard teeth being separated by notches whose inner ends lie closer to said carrier than do the inner ends of said blade slots.

10. An adjustable hair shaper comprising a carrier, 21 blade mounted in said carrier and having an edged margin projecting from said carrier, said edged margin having equally spaced transverse slots defining spaced cutting teeth, and a guard mounted on said carrier for adjustment lengthwise thereof, said guard including a portion extending along side said blade and having longitudinally equally spaced teeth at its margin projecting beyond said blade teeth, said carrier constituting a resilient channel frictionally gripping and removably mounting said blade and said guard constituting a resilient channel frictionally embracing and gripping said carrier in selected adjustment to expose selected portions of the cutting edges of said blade teeth between said guard teeth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,288,299 Pileggi June 30, 1942 2,593,574 LaCrosse Apr. 22, 1952 2,814,112 Gore Nov. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 667,307 Great Britain Feb. 27, 1952 

